The Smart car, a defining symbol of urban micro-mobility, owes its existence not to traditional automotive engineering, but to the unconventional vision of Nicolas Hayek, the cigar-chomping watchmaker behind the Swatch revolution. While today Smart is pivoting back toward its original two-seater niche, the brand’s origins reveal an unlikely collision of industries and a bold gamble on the future of personal transportation.
The Swatchmobile: An Idea Born from Disruption
Hayek, the man who resurrected the Swiss watch industry in the 1980s by slashing costs, automating production, and reinventing marketing, turned his attention to automobiles in the early 1990s. Having witnessed the near-collapse of Swiss watchmaking due to cheaper Japanese competition, he recognized the potential for disruption in the automotive sector, which at the time was dominated by established giants. His concept, dubbed the “Swatchmobile,” was simple: a small, affordable electric vehicle capable of carrying “two people and two cases of beer” for around £3,570 (roughly £8,280 today).
Hayek’s approach was deliberately disruptive. He famously admitted, “I don’t know cars, just like I didn’t know watches.” His goal wasn’t automotive expertise, but a fresh perspective: an electric car that was both classless and trendy, forcing a change in the way people perceived personal transportation. The vision extended to customizable aesthetics, with plans for removable paint films allowing owners to change the car’s color on a whim.
Early Hurdles and Industry Resistance
The Swatchmobile faced immediate challenges. Battery technology lagged behind Hayek’s ambitions, making a long-range, affordable electric car impractical. The project stalled, leading to a shift toward a hybrid system using a small petrol engine and lead-acid batteries.
Meanwhile, established automakers viewed the idea with skepticism. Volkswagen, initially partnered with Swatch, ultimately sidelined the project in favor of its own hybrid city car, the Chico. Ferdinand Piëch, then VW’s chief, dismissed the Swatchmobile as “an elephant’s roller skate.” The industry consensus was that Hayek’s vision was impractical and lacked the backing of serious automotive expertise.
The Mercedes Rescue: From Fantasy to Reality
Just as Hayek’s dream appeared to crumble, Mercedes-Benz stepped in. Having been shaken into changing its conservative culture, Mercedes designers were already exploring similar micro-mobility concepts. In 1994, the two companies formed a joint venture, Micro Compact Car (MCC), which would eventually birth the Smart brand in 1995.
The Smart car was engineered in Renningen by a young, dynamic team with an average age of 34. It employed a ‘sandwich principle’ inspired by Mercedes’ new A-Class to maximize crash safety. The final product, launched in 1997, was a far cry from Hayek’s original electric vision, but it was finally a viable, if unconventional, reality.
“The future of mobility will be the Smart,” MCC chairman Jürgen Hubbert predicted at the launch.
Whether he will be proven right remains to be seen, but the story of the Smart car stands as a testament to the power of disruptive thinking and the unlikely convergence of industries. The original vision — born from a watchmaker’s fantasy — has left an indelible mark on the automotive landscape.
